Improvement in felted oil-cloths



UNITED STATES PATEN FFICE.

OAREAUGUST SITZLER, OF KITZINGEN, BAVARIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HISRIGHT TO CHARLES THEODORE MEYER, OF JERSEY CITY, N. J.

IMPROVEMENT IN FELTED OIL-CLOTHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,348, dated January18, 1876 application filed October 21, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL AUGUST SITZLER, of Kitzin gen, Bavaria, but atpresent residing at Elizabethport, in the county of Union and State ofNew Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Felted Oil-.Oloth, of whichthe following is a specification This invention relates to a new mannerof treating felted fabrics to render them useful as floor-cloths.

The invention consists in treating felted fabric with gum-catechu andbichromate of po- I t :ssa, and with oil-paint in the manner hereinafterspecified, to produce a durable and water-proof oil-cloth.

To produce the felted fabric, I use, by preference, forty parts ofbamboo fiber, twenty parts of cotton fiber, and forty parts of calfshair, or the same ingredients in nearly the proportions named. In placeof the cotton- I fiber Wool can be used, when a softer fabric is desired5 or wool and cotton may be used together, in place of cotton or woolalone. The calfs hairis added to bind and hold the fibrous mattertogether, and to produce, therefore, a very strong fabric. After thesubstances above enumerated have been selected and mixed in about theproportions specified, they are felted together by any of the knownmeans or processes of felting, or treated like paperpulp when a morecompact fabric is required.

The above-described or any other felted fabric is thereupon treated asfollows, to render it waterproof, and adapt it for use as a flooroloth.It is first steeped in a solution of gumcatechu in water, said solutioncontaining also a small proportion of bichromate of potassa, in theproportion of about two ounces of. the latter ingredient to ten poundsof the gum. Dissolved glue may or may not be added to the solution, toserve as a sizing. Aiter steeping, the felted fabric is dried, andthereupon covered on both sides with oil-color of suitable kind. It maythen be printed on one side in the same manner in which oilcloths areusually printed.

Felted fabric thus treated will be waterproof, invariably flexible, andvery durable. It will better retain the color than the brittleoil-cloths now in use, and will not be injured by water.

I claim as my invention The within-described process of manufacturingfelted oil-cloths by forming afelted fabric, and waterproofing the sameby a treatment with a solution of gum-catechu and bichromate of potassa,and drying and finally painting it on both sides, substantially asdescribed.

OARL AUGUST SITZLER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST G. WEBB, A. WEEDNER.

